The civilized world is engaged in a great battle against international terror, the tragic and senseless killing and maiming of innocent people in the middle of their daily lives. We in Israel know this kind of tragedy only too well. Yad Sarah, alas, knows the aftermath, too – the days and months of slow recovery and rehabilitation that are soon forgotten by the wider public. ----------------------
Yad Sarah Hotline for Wounded in Terror Attacks...[ 11/2/2004 ] Flash Movie - Yad Sarah's response to terror ----------------------------------------------------

The southern development town of Sderot has been terrorized by a rain of kassam rockets for several years. The frequency and intensity of the rocket attacks has increased in the spring of 2007, and Yad Sarah has responded to the call for help. The Yad Sarah task force works in coordination with the Social Services Department of Sderot.Yad Sarah focused on three main areas:

1. Lending Medical Equipment:Yad Sarah undertook to deliver medical equipment to the homes of all those sick, frail or disabled people who needed it in Sderot. Furthermore, Yad Sarah promised to supply medical equipment to Sderot residents who had left the town temporarily for a new location and needed the equipment there.

2. YadSaraVans: Yad Sarah made a wheelchair-bearing van available around the clock in a central Sderot location to transport sick or disabled people to medical treatments or other urgent needs anywhere in town. Transportation has also been provided for those wheelchair bound individuals who sought to leave the city for calmer areas throughout the country.The rest of the time the van is at the disposal of the Social Services personnel to transport necessary supplies for the residents, or for other helpful uses.

3. Volunteers of the Emergency Alarm Center phoned subscribers of that service, and offered support, encouragement, and assistance (to those who chose to stay…).

In the past few years, Yad Sarah has assisted over 4,000 victims of terrorism alone - in addition to the over 370,000 families it serves each year. Two bulletproof vehicles were acquired to transport people and equipment safely. Yad Sarah's emergency response center has stepped up its pace of installing home alarms, responding to the heightened level of anxiety among the older public. It has also installed its personal alarm systems in kindergartens and nursery schools, free of charge, to allow for emergency contact in the event of a terrorist attack. In addition, it has become necessary to open new branches and increase the stocks of some smaller ones to minimize the need of people traveling on attack-prone roads. The existing branches in cities where attacks took place have had their capacity stretched and their hours extended to cope with the aftermath of the carnage. Yad Sarah’s Guidance, Resource and Exhibition Centers advise victims about assistive devices alleviating their situation, and how to adapt living surroundings to their injuries. And all over the country Yad Sarah’s equipment lending service has had to be buttressed and its hours expanded to service victims following acts of terror. Yad Sarah is struggling to maintain its services for all those in need. The stock of medical equipment is low on critical items such as wheelchairs and oxygen concentrators, which are in heavy demand due to the bombings, as well as orthopedic items such as crutches and walkers. And in the midst of this reality, Yad Sarah must continue to provide its regular services through its 100 branches countrywide, services that the public has learned to depend upon and admire. All Yad Sarah’s services are delivered by volunteers. With no government support, this organization depends on volunteers and donations to support its unique network of services, provided freely and without any discrimination or bureaucracy. Its low overhead, resulting from its infinitesimal payroll, makes it a paragon of efficiency in the use of resources. That is why its call for help deserves attention.